Rhododendron plant named ‘Spring Mate’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Rhododendron  plant named ‘Spring Mate’, characterized by its upright to broadly spreading and mounding plant habit; moderately vigorous growth habit and moderate growth rate; freely branching habit and dense and bushy appearance; dark green-colored leaves; freely flowering habit; ruffled semi-double flowers that are vivid reddish orange in color; and good garden performance and temperature tolerance.

Botanical designation: Rhododendron hybrida.

Cultivar denomination: ‘SPRING MATE’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar ofRhododendron plant, botanically known as Rhododendron hybrida,commercially referred to as an evergreen Rhododendron plant andhereinafter referred to by the name ‘Spring Mate’.

The new Rhododendron plant is a product of a planned breeding programconducted by the Inventors in Lu'an City, Anhui Province, China. Theobjective of the breeding program is to create new evergreenRhododendron plants having uniform growth habit, attractive flower formsand color with good garden performance in Eastern China.

The new Rhododendron plant originated from a cross-pollination made bythe Inventors in April, 2013 in Lu'an City, Anhui Province, China ofRhododendron hybrida ‘Bawang Hong’, not patented, as the female, orseed, parent with Rhododendron hybrida ‘Xia Hong’, not patented, as themale, or pollen, parent. The new Rhododendron plant was discovered andselected by the Inventors as a single flowering plant within the progenyof the stated cross-pollination in a controlled greenhouse environmentin Lu'an City, Anhui Province, China in April, 2018

Asexual reproduction of the new Rhododendron plant by semi-hardwood stemcuttings taken in a controlled greenhouse environment in Lu'an City,Anhui Province, China since August, 2018 has shown that the uniquefeatures of this new Rhododendron plant are stable and reproduced trueto type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Rhododendron have not been observed under all possiblecombinations of environmental conditions and cultural practices. Thephenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environmental conditionssuch as temperature, daylength and light intensity without, however, anyvariance in genotype. The following traits have been repeatedly observedand are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Spring Mate’.These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Spring Mate’ as a newand distinct Rhododendron plant:

-   -   1. Upright to broadly spreading and mounding plant habit.    -   2. Moderately vigorous growth habit and moderate growth rate.    -   3. Freely branching habit; dense and bushy appearance.    -   4. Dark green-colored leaves.    -   5. Freely flowering habit.    -   6. Ruffled semi-double flowers that are vivid reddish orange in        color.    -   7. Good garden performance and temperature tolerance.

Plants of the new Rhododendron differ primarily from plants of thefemale parent, ‘Bawang Hong’, in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Rhododendron have reddish orange-colored        flowers whereas plants of ‘Bawang Hong’ have reddish        pink-colored flowers.    -   2. Plants of the new Rhododendron are more cold temperature        tolerant than plants of ‘Bawang Hong’.

Plants of the new Rhododendron differ primarily from plants of the maleparent, ‘Xia Hong’, in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Rhododendron have darker green-colored        leaves than plants of ‘Xia Hong’.    -   2. Plants of the new Rhododendron have reddish orange-colored        flowers whereas plants of ‘Xia Hong’ have light red-colored        flowers.

Plants of the new Rhododendron can be compared to the plants of ‘RyukyuRed’, not patented. In side-by-side comparisons, plants of the newRhododendron differ primarily from plants of ‘Ryukyu Red’ in thefollowing characteristics:

-   -   1. Flowers of plants of the new Rhododendron are more        cupped-shaped and not as trumpet-shaped as plants of ‘Ryukyu        Red’.    -   2. Flowers of plants of the new Rhododendron have spots at the        center of the flower whereas flowers of plants of ‘Ryukyu Red’        do not have spots.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearanceof the new Rhododendron plant showing the colors as true as it isreasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type.Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color valuescited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describethe colors of the new Rhododendron plant.

The photograph on the first sheet (FIG. 1) is a side perspective view ofa typical flowering plant of ‘Spring Mate’.

The photograph at the top of the second sheet (FIG. 2) is a close-upview of typical developing flowers of ‘Spring Mate’.

The photograph at the bottom of the second sheet (FIG. 3) is a close-upview of a typical open flower of plants of ‘Spring Mate’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs, following observations and measurementsdescribe plants grown during the spring in an outdoor nursery in Lu'anCity, Anhui Province, China and under cultural practices typical ofnursery Rhododendron production. During the production of the plants,day temperatures ranged from 14° C. to 22° C. and night temperaturesranged from 12° C. to 16° C. Plants used for the photographs anddetailed description were five years old. In the following description,color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society ColourChart, 2001 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionarysignificance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Rhododendron hybrida ‘Spring Mate’.-   Commercial classification: Evergreen Rhododendron.-   Parentage:    -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Rhododendron hybrida ‘Bawang Hong’,            not patented.        -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Rhododendron hybrida ‘Xia Hong’,            not patented.-   Propagation:    -   -   Type.—By semi-hardwood stem cuttings.        -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About 20 days at            temperatures about 29° C.        -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About 30 days            at temperatures about 29° C.        -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous; initially white in color            becoming orange brown with development; actual color of the            roots is dependent on substrate composition, water quality,            fertilizer type and formulation, substrate temperature and            physiological age of roots.        -   Rooting habit.—Low branching; medium density.-   Plant description:    -   -   Plant form, plant and growth habit.—Perennial and evergreen            flowering subshrub; upright to broadly spreading and            mounding plant habit; moderately vigorous growth habit and            moderate growth rate; freely flowering habit with numerous            semi-double flowers developing per plant during the            flowering season.        -   Branching habit.—Freely branching habit with lateral            branches potentially developing at every node; dense and            bushy appearance; pinching (removal of terminal apex) will            enhance lateral branch development.        -   Plant height, soil level to top of foliar plane.—About 43            cm.        -   Plant height, soil level to top of floral plane.—About 48            cm.        -   Plant diameter, area of spread.—About 48.5 cm.        -   Lateral branch description.—Length: About 15 cm. Diameter at            base: About 6 mm. Internode length: About 0.9 cm to 2.2 cm.            Strength: Moderately strong. Aspect: Upright to about 60°            from vertical. Texture and luster: Smooth, glabrous,            becoming woody with development; matte. Color: Close to            197B.        -   Leaf description.—Arrangement: Alternate; simple. Length:            About 4.3 cm to 6.4 cm. Width: About 2.3 cm to 2.8 cm.            Shape: Elliptic to obovate. Apex: Acute. Base: Cuneate.            Margin: Entire. Venation pattern: Pinnate; reticulate.            Texture and luster, upper and lower surfaces: Pubescent;            matte. Color: Developing leaves, upper surface: Close to            146C. Developing leaves, lower surface: Close to 148C. Fully            expanded leaves, upper surface: Close to 147A; venation,            close to 147A. Fully expanded leaves, lower surface: Close            to 146C; venation, close to 146C. Petioles: Length: About 2            mm to 4 mm. Diameter: About 1 mm to 2 mm. Strength:            Flexible. Texture and luster, upper and lower surfaces:            Smooth, glabrous; matte. Color, upper surface: Close to            146D. Color, lower surface: Close to 152C.-   Flower description:    -   -   Flower appearance and arrangement.—Semi-double flowers            arranged mostly upright to outwardly in clusters at            terminals and sub-terminals.        -   Natural flowering season.—Plants of the new Rhododendron            flower in the spring in Eastern China.        -   Flowering habit.—Freely flowering habit with usually about            three to seven flowers per terminal or sub-terminal; during            the flowering season, about 40 to 120 open flowers develop            per plant.        -   Flower longevity.—Flowers are durable and long-lasting;            depending on the temperature, flowers last about five days            on the plant, dependent on ambient temperatures; flowers not            persistent.        -   Fragrance.—If present, slightly fragrant.        -   Flower diameter.—About 6.6 cm to 7.4 cm.        -   Flower depth.—About 5.6 cm to 5.8 cm.        -   Flower buds.—Length: About 4.3 cm to 4.6 cm. Diameter: About            1.6 cm to 1.9 cm. Shape: Elliptic. Texture and luster:            Smooth, glabrous; matte. Color: Close to 34A.        -   Petals.—Quantity and arrangement: About six to eight petals            arranged in about two or three whorls and fused at the base.            Length: About 5 cm to 5.3 cm. Width: About 3 cm to 3.5 cm.            Shape: Broadly obovate. Apex: Obtuse; undulate, ruffled.            Margin: Entire; undulate; ruffled. Texture, upper and lower            surfaces: Smooth, glabrous; matte. Color: When opening and            fully opened, upper surface: Close to 34A; central spots and            speckles, close to 53A. When opening and fully opened, lower            surface: Close to 34A.        -   Sepals.—Arrangement: Five in a single whorl, fused at the            base forming a campanulate calyx. Length: About 1.3 cm to            1.5 cm. Width: About 8 mm to 9 mm. Shape: Broadly elliptic.            Apex: Acute. Base: Fused. Margin: Entire. Texture and            luster, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous; matte.            Color, upper and lower surfaces: Close to 135D.        -   Peduncles.—Length: About 1.2 cm to 1.7 cm. Diameter: About 2            mm to 3 mm. Angle: Upright to outwardly. Strength: Flexible.            Texture and luster: Smooth, glabrous; matte. Color: Close to            135D.        -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Quantity of stamens per            flower: About six to nine. Filament length: About 2.7 cm to            3.5 cm. Filament color: Close to 38A. Anther shape: Narrowly            elliptic. Anther length: About 2 mm to 3 mm. Anther width:            About 1 mm to 2 mm. Anther color: Close to N34A. Pollen            amount: Abundant. Pollen color: Close to 155D. Gynoecium:            Pistil length: About 4 cm to 4.2 cm. Stigma shape: Broadly            elliptic. Stigma diameter: About 1 mm to 2 mm. Stigma color:            Close to 37C. Style length: About 3.9 cm to 4.1 cm. Style            color: Close to 38A. Ovary color: Close to 134A.        -   Fruits and seeds.—To date, fruit and seed development have            not been observed on plants of the new Rhododendron.-   Garden performance & temperature tolerance: Plants of the new    Rhododendron have been observed to be very tolerant to rain, wind    and temperatures ranging from about −8° C. to about 38° C.-   Pathogen & pest resistance: To date, plants have not been observed    to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Rhododendron    plants.

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of Rhododendron plantnamed ‘Spring Mate’ as illustrated and described.